Photo: Autobahn
Remember the product plan leaked back in 2016, showing what the four-ringed automaker is up to until the end of 2018? To date, just about everything listed in there came to fruition, with Audi further confirming the C-BEV (e-tron SUV) and Q8 for debut in 2018. The last car in the list, as you can see from the featured photo, is the R8 V6 that we’ve been hearing since eons ago.
This gets us to Road & Track, whose story “No, Audi Isn't Making a V6-Powered R8” claims that the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6-powered R8 isn’t going to happen. Citing “an official Audi source” without giving information the slightest of information about the source, R&T claims that "there is no V6 planned for the R8."
And that’s a bit conflicting considering the product plan and what Roland Schala, the technical lead for the mid-engine supercar, told Top Gear three years ago. More to the point, “the [EA839 high-performance] V6 is a perfect engine for this kind of car.” Then there’s the Volkswagen Group’s push for more efficient powertrains, with the focal points being the MEB, J1, and PPE platforms for all-electric vehicles.
Downsizing from 5.2 to 2.9 liters also happens to be favorable for Audi in markets where the taxation system emphasizes displacement. China is the perfect example, with new car buyers obliged to pony up a consumption tax of 20 percent for vehicles equipped with engine capacities of more than 4.0 liters. It’s no coincidence Mercedes-AMG and Porsche both downsized to 4.0 liters and forced induction for added torque.
Last, but certainly not least, the story published by Road & Track might also be a mix-up. Being based in the U.S., the R&T editorial team might have been given the information by an official from the North American branch of Audi. And for what it’s worth, the U.S. doesn’t care as much as China and Europe about displacement.
What’s your take? Is Audi going to make that R8 V6 or not?
And that’s a bit conflicting considering the product plan and what Roland Schala, the technical lead for the mid-engine supercar, told Top Gear three years ago. More to the point, “the [EA839 high-performance] V6 is a perfect engine for this kind of car.” Then there’s the Volkswagen Group’s push for more efficient powertrains, with the focal points being the MEB, J1, and PPE platforms for all-electric vehicles.
Downsizing from 5.2 to 2.9 liters also happens to be favorable for Audi in markets where the taxation system emphasizes displacement. China is the perfect example, with new car buyers obliged to pony up a consumption tax of 20 percent for vehicles equipped with engine capacities of more than 4.0 liters. It’s no coincidence Mercedes-AMG and Porsche both downsized to 4.0 liters and forced induction for added torque.
Last, but certainly not least, the story published by Road & Track might also be a mix-up. Being based in the U.S., the R&T editorial team might have been given the information by an official from the North American branch of Audi. And for what it’s worth, the U.S. doesn’t care as much as China and Europe about displacement.
What’s your take? Is Audi going to make that R8 V6 or not?
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